Organization raises awareness for the homeless

Saturday, November 18th 2017, 1:10 pm EST

By: Jenna Kurzyna, WWAY

Brunswick County Homeless Coalition’s annual banquet (Photo: Jenna Kurzyna/WWAY)

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Ending homelessness and hunger in one county is the mission for the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition.

This weekend the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition held their 6th Annual Hunger and Homeless Banquet and Soup Luncheon.

This event was to educate and raise awareness about poverty-related problems.

The event was free and hosted at the Brunswick Center at Leland.

The banquet and soup luncheon invited formerly homeless individuals to talk about their past struggles and learn about solutions.

Joe Staton who now volunteers with the coalition used to be homeless and said the help he received from them was life changing.

“A lot of people don’t know that Brunswick County has a homeless population at all, but they do and we work directly with them. When I came to Brunswick County I was homeless, and I received the help and I know there’s a lot of people out there needing it,” Staton said.

The Brunswick County Homeless Coalition is made up of volunteers and wants to continue to educate the community about the hunger and homeless problems in the area.

WWAY TV, LLC. © 2017 All Rights Reserved.

L-R Jim MacCallum, Paul Witmer, and Joe Staton. Click or tap to play video on Youtube. (PHOTO: ATMC TV)

ATMC TV’s November 2017 “Our Hometown” show features, during its latter segment, an interview with Paul Witmer and Joe Staton of the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition. The subject matter covers the definition of homelessness, aspects of our homelessness problem with respect to Veterans and others, and the Coalition’s annual event on November 18th, 2017, spotlighting awareness of and solutions to poverty- and homelessness-related problems here in Brunswick County.

Our Hometown, hosted by Jim MacCallum, features in-depth stories about local people, places and events in Brunswick and Columbus Counties. Our Hometown airs every day at 8:30am and 7:00pm on ATMC TV.

The Homeless Coalition appreciates very much this opportunity to raise awareness, and we give a heartfelt thanks to Jim and to ATMC TV.

Your turn: National Hunger & Homeless Awareness week
Thursday, November 9th 2017, 1:18 pm EST (Source: WECT). Copyright 2017 Raycom Media. All Rights Reserved.
By: Joe Staton, Brunswick County Homeless Coalition

Click or tap to watch the video. (Photo source: WECT)

 

How many persons are homeless in Brunswick County?

How do you define homelessness?

How can we help homeless veterans find housing?

Is there a single path to end homelessness?

What is rapid rehousing and how does it work?

Are there really more than 400 homeless students in the Brunswick County School system?

Does Brunswick County need a homeless shelter?

(Photo Source: WECT)

The answers to some of these questions may alarm you. National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week is held each year during the week prior to Thanksgiving.

The Brunswick County Homeless Coalition takes this opportunity to enhance our efforts to raise awareness about the issue and what is being done locally to work toward meeting the needs, advocating for and working toward ending homelessness.

The best thing we can do is get more people involved.

Please go to the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition website at brunswickhomeless.com to learn how you can get involved. While you are visiting our site, please consider registering for our annual event on Saturday, November 18.

As we move toward the Thanksgiving season, and start to count our own blessings, please consider sharing some of that compassion with our neighbors who aren’t as fortunate as us. Together, we can make a difference.

Note: This is an archived article about a past event. There may be more current information about a related recent event at the following link: http://brunswickhomeless.com/banquet

The Sixth Annual Hunger and Homeless Banquet and Soup Luncheon

The Sixth Annual Hunger and Homeless Banquet and Soup Luncheon

Basic Information

Observing National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (Nov 11-19, 2017), The Brunswick County Homeless Coalition invites you to attend the Sixth Annual Hunger & Homeless Banquet and Soup Luncheon
on Nov 18th in Leland, NC. There is no cost to attend; a lunch of homemade soups and bread will be provided.

This year’s program will be held at BSRI’s Brunswick Center in Leland, NC, located at 121 Town Hall Dr. NE, Leland, NC, 28451, at the corner of Village Road and Town Hall Drive. [Click or tap for Driving Directions.] The program, scheduled to run from 10am to 2pm, is entitled “Ending Homelessness in Brunswick County.” Doors open at 9:30am.

Besides the delicious soups, you will hear the powerful stories of local formerly homeless men and women, information from local leaders about what’s being done to address the problem (and how you can help), and a presentation from special guest Terry Allebaugh, Community Impact Coordinator for the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness.

You are invited to pre-register for the event on the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition website’s registration form to help us prepare for the appropriate number of guests. There is no cost to register or attend; donations of any amount are appreciated and directly go to help the hungry, homeless, and at-risk population of Brunswick County.

2012: the First Annual Hunger and Homeless Banquet

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in an event held each November which began at Villanova University in 1975. It’s an annual program across the country to draw attention to the problems of hunger and homelessness. Held at more than 700 locations each year, with hundreds of thousands of participants,
this event has raised millions of dollars for local service providers across the country. Participating groups spend the week holding a series of educational, service, fundraising, and advocacy events. The Sixth Annual Hunger and Homeless Banquet and Soup Luncheon is Brunswick County’s registered National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week event, held to raise awareness and work toward solutions here at home.

The Sixth Annual Hunger and Homeless Banquet and Soup Luncheon is organized by the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition. The Coalition meets the second Tuesday of the month at the BSRI Senior Center in Shallotte, NC. You can find out more at the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition website.

Publicity

Your help in getting the word out about this event is very much appreciated. The more people that are able to attend, the more support can be gathered and the more resources can be mobilized against the fight against hunger and homelessness right here at home.

Person to person, word-of-mouth publicity is very effective–and today, with e-mail and social networking, it has a potentially much larger reach. The sharing buttons at the bottom of this page can help you to share and spread the news using Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, and e-mail.

There are also promotional printables and promotional graphics in the form of printable 8.5×11″ flyers and .jpg graphic files. You are encouraged to download these and share them online, and print them to post publicly, to share with friends and family, or to share with your civic, church, or worship group.

 

“If You Join
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Black & White
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For Online

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Black and
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Four-Color
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  • If your computer can’t open PDF documents, you can get a free PDF reader from the PDFReaders.Org website.
  • If you have trouble downloading the .jpg graphic files–if they just show a larger version when clicked–then right click the larger version and select “save image” or “save picture”.

Brunswick County Homeless Coalition

PO Box 7411, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469

1-888-519-5362 for info or assistance

brunswickhomeless.com

 
(L-R) Joe Staton of the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition, Leland Mayor Brenda Bozeman, Barbara Serafin of BCHC, and Councilman Mike Callahan participate in the reading and presentation of the proclamation. (Photo: BCHC/JAJ)

At their October 19th, 2017 Town Council meeting, the Town of Leland showed their support of the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition by inviting us to receive an official proclamation of Hunger and Homelessness awareness week, November 11th – 19th, 2017.

Town Councilman Mike Callahan read the proclamation as Mayor Brenda Boseman presented it to Barbara Serafin and Joe Staton of the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition.

Support from area governments and leaders is essential in the fight against poverty-related issues like hunger and homelessness, and the BCHC would like to richly thank the Town of Leland for all their recognition and support.  Leland is host this year to 2017’s sixth annual Hunger and Homeless Banquet and Soup Luncheon, scheduled for November 18th at 9:30am.

Proclamation proclaiming November 11-19, 2017 as National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. (Source: Town of Leland; Scan: BCHC/BJS)

Brunswick County Homeless Coalition was on hand for Seniors Helping Seniors on October 13th, 2017 at BSRI’s Stone Chimney Road center. BSRI hosts the Seniors Helping Seniors event during the autumn season of each year as an opportunity to showcase area businesses and organizations of interest to seniors. Lots of area businesses, groups, and organizations were present for the information, the fellowship, the entertainment and the food. At the BCHC table, about 75 people stopped specifically to talk with us and learn more about problems and solutions here in Brunswick County.

BCHC members at the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition table at Seniors Helping Seniors, Oct 13, 2017 at BSRI Center Supply. (L-R Ralph Carmody, Giselle Bawab, Joe Staton, and Barbara Serafin of BCHC)

 

Barbara Serafin invites someone to our November Hunger & Homeless Banquet.
Ralph Carmody helps someone learn more about the homeless and what we can do to help.
The 2017 Seniors Helping Seniors event.
Brunswick Conty Homeless Coalition’s table at the event contained information about who we are, what we do, how to get help or refer someone to get help, and upcoming events.
Rita, Giselle, and Ralph talk with the public at the BCHC table
Jim Fish and Debra Marlowe of BSRI give away door prizes to those attending the event

Brunswick County Homeless Coalition

2016 Statistics

In 2016, the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition responded to 344 requests for assistance. 48 families (104 people) were provided 140 nights of emergency shelter, and 296 families received assistance with rent, utilities, food, medications, and/or transportation.

Your donations are very important to us and to those we serve. Please consider donating any amount to help.

Brunswick County Homeless Coalition was pleased to participate in Resource Days, September 20, 2017 in Southport, NC, and September 30, 2017 in Leland, NC.

 

Ralph, Mark, Barbara, and Mary representing the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition.
Barbara and Marc with the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition banner sign.
The event and some of those in attendance.
A few displays from the event.
Mark and Paul talk with a representative from Habitat for Humanity.

 

At their September 5, 2017 meeting, the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners officially proclaimed the week of November 11th – 19th, 2017 as “National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.” A copy of the proclamation was presented to Barbara Serafin, representing the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition.

BCHC appreciates the tremendous support that the Board of Commissioners has shown, and appreciates this proclamation. Commissioner Pat Sykes is also scheduled to present the board’s proclamation at the BCHC’s Sixth Annual Hunger and Homeless Banquet in Leland on Nov 18, 2017, in observation of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

This article is copyright 2017 StarNews.

Advocates: Brunswick County needs homeless shelter

Several local nonprofit organizations and churches care for Brunswick County’s homeless population.

BRUNSWICK COUNTY — Glenna Clemmons’ single bedroom apartment has one poster hanging on the wall. A small couch and recliner take up most of the living room, while an old TV sits nearby.

Though her apartment is small, Clemmons values the luxury.

For 20 years, Clemmons worked in commercial fishing with her boyfriend, a life she described as hard but rewarding.

Glenna Clemmons used to be homeless, but has since been rehoused with the help of local nonprofit organizations, including Brunswick County Streetreach (PHOTO: Chip Ellis/StarNews)

Seven years ago, Clemmons’ boyfriend died and she lost everything. After a lifetime of labor, she became homeless.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 14.3 percent of Brunswick County’s 126,953 residents live in poverty. When people become homeless or face eviction, they often turn to nonprofit organizations for assistance. The county government relies heavily on nonprofits to take care of the homeless since the county has no permanent emergency shelter.

Nonprofits are funded differently, though most rely on charitable donations, grants and other contributions to function. These groups and a network of local churches care for the county’s homeless on a daily basis, though the strain of handling numerous cases each day is beginning to show.

Need for services

When Clemmons no longer had a place to call home, she traveled and stayed with family in Tennessee, California and Louisiana before returning to Southport. With nowhere else to turn, Clemmons said somebody told her about Brunswick County Streetreach. The organization and founder, Donna Phelps, helped her into an apartment.

Phelps said the lack of available housing options for the number of people she deals with daily that are in a crisis situation highlights a need for more options.

“This county has reached a point now that there needs to be some type of emergency shelter,” Phelps said. “There really does. I’m not saying a full-time shelter because honestly most of our people are not chronic homeless, they’re situational homeless, under-employed, evicted, or victims of domestic violence, we don’t have the chronic homeless like Wilmington has. So our situation is really different, but we still need some type of recourse other than just calling us.”

The county government, through the Brunswick County Public Housing Agency, administers the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.

Brunswick Family Assistance, another nonprofit agency, handles at least one family or individual a week that is homeless, said Stephanie Bowen, executive director. She said the agency handles multiple calls on a daily basis from families that are at risk of becoming homeless because they can’t afford rent, which averages $846 a month in the county.

BFA has a rental assistance program and the organization will often facilitate a landlord/tenant agreement to keep the individual or families in their home.

Bowen said emergency sheltering is another challenge entirely.

“As far as people seeking emergency shelter, the biggest limitation we have here in Brunswick County is we do not have a homeless shelter,” Bowen said. “So what we typically do is we try to divert them from having to go over to Wilmington because most of the time that’s not an option for people…if they have a job or school here, they can’t get to Wilmington’s shelter, so we try to find other options for them.”

The agency often exhausts resources when trying to find suitable housing for people in need.

From Nov. 1 to March 1, Phelps relies heavily on a motel system that charges a discounted rate to house the homeless.

This past winter Streetreach had between 11 to 17 different individuals each week staying in the motels.

Over the summer months, Phelps relies on churches that open their doors and allow the homeless to stay overnight.

When Streetreach began sheltering in 2011, Phelps had 12 churches to work with.

“That worked out beautifully, each one housed for a week then we moved to the next site,” she said.

As the years went by, Phelps said the number of churches willing to house the homeless dwindled. Now, she only has four churches willing to provide shelter, though several offer food, clothing and other amenities.

Moving forward

Joe Staton has lived in Brunswick County since 2012. He moved in with his aunt and uncle in Ocean Isle Beach after living in a homeless shelter in Florence, South Carolina.

Joe Staton sorts the clothing racks at the Brunswick Family Assistance thrift store in Shallotte. Staton was homeless before receiving a leg up from Brunswick Family Assistance. (PHOTO: Chip Ellis/StarNews)

Staton became homeless after he and his wife separated.

“I didn’t have anywhere to stay because I was struggling with PTSD, trying to get military disability,” he said. “I didn’t have a job, any income at all. So I found a homeless shelter that would take me in just because I was a veteran.”

Staton eventually received assistance from BFA, which set him up in an apartment and with counselors who helped him with social reintegration.

Had there not been a transitional shelter available for him in South Carolina, Staton said he would’ve been “sleeping under a bridge.”

Not having an emergency shelter is where Brunswick County “struggles a bit,” said Cecelia Peers of the Tri-County Homeless Interagency Council

She leads the Brunswick Homeless Task Force, created about a year ago, which has been bringing different agencies in the area together, including county government, to coordinate and understand the size and scope of homelessness in Brunswick County.

Staton, Bowen, Phelps and Barbara Serafin, co-president of the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition, cited the need for an emergency shelter, as well as more transitional and affordable housing options, to prevent homelessness and have an emergency resource in a crisis situation.

Jerry Rothenberg and Barbara Serafin, co-presidents of the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition, discuss the problem of homelessness in Brunswick County and ways that the Coalition helps those affected. (PHOTO: StarNews)

“We need to let people who are in trouble, who are homeless or at risk from homelessness, know that there’s somewhere for them to stay,” Staton said. “That we care about them and they’re important and still a part of our society.”

Reporter Makenzie Holland can be reached at 910-343-2371 or Makenzie.Holland@StarNewsOnline.com.